Ring of Memories
by DracoLover
Summary: Severus Snape's memories come to life when a young boy picks up a token given to him long ago...
1. Default Chapter

**Ring of Memories**

**Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and information do not belong to this author. They belong to J.K. Rowling. So don't sue me… please…**

"What's this?" Draco wondered to himself while picking up a strange-looking ring with gleaming green emerald eyes as the setting.  "What a strange thing…" he said to himself while slipping it on.  A sudden surge of bitter hatred and sour love filled him.

Young little Snape walked down the hallways gloomily, his thick black hair flowing back as he gained speed.  Tears started to fall down his face in rivers as he gripped his books tightly to his chest and ran through the corridors of Hogwarts.

Draco suddenly ran down the hallway with tears stinging his eyes for some reason.  Crabbe and Goyle followed him, wondering what on earth got into him.

"It's unfair!  UNFAIR!" Severus stumbled through the corridors, hitting the wall angrily while he clumsily made his way through it.  Scratches and bruises formed onto his sallow skin.  "I hate them!  I hate them all!" he screamed in rage.

Draco found a lump in his throat as he started to hit the walls madly while he ran through the corridors.

Severus made his way out of the castle and onto the Hogwarts grounds.

Draco ran madly out of the castle, tears flowing freely down his eyes.  He was running towards a huge misshapen tree.  Its branches were like elephants' trunks, all curled up and rough.  A panic went through him.

The little boy ran across the short grass, blinded by his tears, he came in front of a fairly large tree with strangely shaped branches that curled inwards and outwards in different directions.

Severus ran towards it, not hearing voices shouting for him, screaming for him to stop.

_HELP!_ He tried to say but the lump in his throat prevented him to do so.  Blurred words swooshed through his mind, flooding him with unfamiliar memories but strangely familiar faces.  He didn't hear the cries of his peers for him to stop.  He didn't hear the commands of the teachers.  He didn't hear the quick footsteps that ran towards him.  One thing was for sure, he was headed for the Whomping Willow.

Severus ran up to the tree with full force.  He tripped over a large root and stumbled to the ground.  The earth heaved with the rage and anger that had awakened its rest.  The branches started to flail out in all directions.

Severus knelt on the ground, unconscious of the reality and danger he was in.  The branches tore out madly and finally, a long branch snatched Severus up by the back of his shirt and threw him high into the air.  Severus got his consciousness back together and realized he was going to die.  He started screaming for help while the humongous tree tossed him back and forth in its branches.  Suddenly, the tree threw him towards the cliff.  Severus closed his eyes as his heart thumped and pumped with fear.

A boy with messy black hair and round glasses suddenly leapt at Draco, knocking him over before a huge branch tore at him.  The branches wailed about, twisting its branches and grabbing out for the intruder.  Draco was saved.

The black-haired boy fell towards the cliff.  _The end… good…_ Severus thought bitterly.  There was a good thing to death, there was no pain, no sorrow, no anger, no hate.  He wouldn't remember anything.  He'd just be in between oblivion and eternal darkness.  _Good…_ he thought again as the wind blew swiftly through his thick black hair.

Suddenly, a body leapt up at him, grabbing his waist, bringing him to the ground safely.  A boy about the same age of Severus stood up and adjusted his round glasses.  A grin was on his face, a satisfied grin.  He brushed himself off and smiled at Severus.

"P—Potter?!" Draco stuttered breathlessly.  He quickly lost his voice again and was held down by Crabbe, Goyle, Snape and Lupin.  Draco twitched and struggled in their arms as the vision continued.

"How dare you?!" Severus snarled wildly at James Potter.  He glared angrily at the pretty girl that stood behind him.  "I owe you my life, maybe, but you owe me something much greater." He hissed and turned on his heel, wiping his face angrily.

"Malfoy!  Hold still!" Snape snarled while grasping the boy's twitching hand.  He saw the ring and pulled it off Draco's finger and hid it in his pocket.

Draco breathed in and his muscles relaxed.  He fell unconscious.

"Harry," Dumbledore smiled.  "Thank you for saving young Draco.  It sort of reminds me of an incident involving…"

"Sir…" Snape intervened.

"Oh, good afternoon Professor Snape." Dumbledore smiled.

"Malfoy will be all right now." Snape nodded.  He cast a quick glance at Harry and turned and left.

"Anyway Harry, go on back to your classes… the excitement is over." Dumbledore took off his glasses and started wiping them with a large yellow handkerchief.  "30 points to Gryffindor, by the way!"

"I can't believe this…" Severus Snape sighed to himself while toying with the curiously shaped ring in his hands.  "All these years…" he squeezed the ring tightly, hatefully.

He stared at the dulled silver of the ring and the bright emerald eyes then quietly slipped it on in the confinement of the dungeon.  A shiver went through his body.

He clearly saw the face of his heart's desire above his own.  The woman's eyes closed and she leaned closer to him.  A sweet tingle of touching flesh coursed through his veins.

"Lily…" Severus Snape mumbled as the vision blurred and blanked out.

FINI.

Author's Note: It's a good one… sort of anyway… Well, it came to me when I got this necklace and I was staring at the T.V. and then this movie comes in and this person had these flashbacks and then I got to my laptop and made this… lame story… hope you liked it!


	2. Distant Memories

Continuation of Ring of Memories

Distant Memories

"There they are!" Sirius Black pointed at two students walking along in the hallways.

"Shall we?" Remus Lupin held out his hand.

"Lets." James Potter held out his hand as well.  They all looked to Peter.

"Toss me up and at 'em!" Peter replied in a jolly manner.  The others put their hands together and Peter carefully got onto the ladder of hands and readied his footing for a landing.

"On the count of 3!" Sirius grinned mischievously. "1…"

"2…" Remus joined in.

"3!" James yelled out and the three tossed Peter up in the air, sending him somersaulting over to the two students that reared around just in time to see what had happened.  Peter jumped in front of them, making the girl shriek in fright at the suddenness of the deed, making the boy in turn snarl and them and chase after Peter with bright green sparks issuing from his wand, aimed at the poor mischief-maker.

Severus walked down the corridors, making his way towards the Charms' class where Lily Potter waited for him to arrive.  He sorted through his thoughts of the day and how he could sneak out at night to meet with his beloved.

"Hey Sevvy!" a mischievous and provoking voice echoed through the corridor.  Severus whirled around with his wand pointed directly at the boy with bright eyes.  He snarled and turned on his heel.  "I said Sevvy, come here!" the boy repeated his taunting.

"Shut up Black!" Severus shouted while walking briskly away.

"Man, you are the coward…" the boy shrugged and started to turn as well when he felt a pang of pain course through his back.  He shrieked in terror as the slick Slytherin chuckled softly while making his way towards the Charms' class.

"Now you have detention!" Lily Potter scolded the boy sourly.

"It's not my fault that that trouble-maker taunted me!" Severus scowled.  "He's also serving detention with me anyway." He shuddered at the thought.

"Well, you shouldn't have done that." Lily frowned.  "What _are_ you going to do for the whole week?"

"11:00 at night, we are assigned to go with Professor Dumbledore and help him remove some creatures down in the dungeons." His eyes glinted with terrible hatred.

"But—isn't that dangerous?" Lily's voice cracked.

"All detentions are dangerous." Severus replied smugly.  "I have to go.  Our detention starts in a few minutes…"

"Be careful then in detention." Lily softly kissed him on his cheek.  The boy nodded in reply and walked quietly towards the dungeons.  Lily sighed softly to herself and went up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room.

_It is strange when you have a relationship with another house… especially when the houses are sworn enemies…_ Lily sighed while rolling up a piece of parchment—her assignment—and going off to sleep.

"I see you're early…" Sirius Black greeted as he came towards the Defense Against Dark Arts room.  "Think you'll enjoy it, will you?" his eyes flashed with fury.

"Maybe you will.  After all, you'll be eating them." Severus replied smoothly.

The door screeched open and a man in dark violet robes stepped out with a cheerful smile on his face.  "Good evening, boys." Dumbledore smiled.

"Good evening professor…" the two replied dully.

"Now this detention isn't going to be that hard." He led the boys into the room.  "You have to get rid of some lose creatures down in the dungeons."

"Excuse me professor, but, _creatures_?" Severus stared.

"Ooh! Sevvy's scared…" Sirius grumbled softly.

"Now, now, Mr. Black, Mr. Snape won't be scared when he finds out what's down there.  I'm not sure about you though…" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  "Let's go now.  I think they come out about now for their feeding time…"

_Feeding time?!_ Both boys wondered, gulping down.

"Here we are." Dumbledore said while unlocking a door somewhere down in the dungeons.  "Doxies live here so I do advise that you don't step on their eggs.  A 6th year student managed to loose a Doxy the other day and she was… pregnant… therefore, she laid her eggs in the dungeons and has been haunting our housekeeper…"

_Good Doxy…_ the boys thought at the mention of 'haunting our housekeeper'.

"Professor?" Sirius asked.  "How are we supposed to get rid of the Doxy?"

"Yeah.  Are we supposed to just kill her?"

"Trap her in—this." Dumbledore took out a small cage and a lock and key and handed it to Sirius.  "By the way, you step on one egg, the Doxy comes after you and bites you.  There's venom in every bite and I think you won't like the effects if you do get bitten." He opened the door to reveal a dark room filled with hundreds of little eggs all surrounded in yards of string, some hay, dried leaves, some earth and had a very… earthy and dusty smell to it all.  "Oh yes, if you may, please don't harm the Doxy too much." He said and left the boys in the dungeon.  "I'll be back in some hours." He called back.

"A Doxy?" Sirius rolled his eyes warily while tiptoeing over the eggs.

"Those fairy-like things." Severus said.

"I know what it is!" Sirius grumbled.

"Nevermind then!" Severus snapped.

"So we're supposed to get rid of this, this _thing_?!" Sirius picked up an egg and looked at it curiously.

"We're supposed to _capture_ it." Severus corrected.

"But it's getting it out of the dungeon, isn't it?  Therefore, you're getting rid of it." Snape replied smartly.

"But _getting rid_ of it also means _killing_ it." Severus looked about for the creature.  "Didn't professor say it was the feeding time?"

"Uhh…" Sirius flinched nervously.  "What do they eat?"

"I don't know…" Severus shook his head.  "Professor mentioned _venom_ too…"

"IS THIS THE MOST DANGEROUS DETENTION?!" Sirius yelled angrily.

"Shut up!" Severus cupped his hand over the boy's mouth.

"Well I'm sorry!" Sirius grumbled after the Slytherin removed his hand.  "I expected less of Dumbledore…"

"Who wouldn't?"

"You would."

"Oh just shut up and look for the stupid thing so we can get out of here!"

"Shh!" Sirius hushed the boy.  Severus stared at him but he held up his hand.  "Listen."

"To what?" Severus looked around.  Sirius hushed him again and he perked his ears.  A soft noise was heard.  It was like a soft humming of wings beating together.  There was a soft clicking noise too.

"The Doxy…" Sirius whispered.  Severus nodded.  "Do you know of some kind of spell to just make it sleep?"

"I know a potion…" Severus whispered back.

"Well, we need a spell." Sirius said patiently, though annoyed.

Severus nodded and took out his wand silently.  "The cage…" Sirius complied and took out the cage.

"I'll lock her in…" Sirius said quietly while taking out the key.

"How do we get her to come here?"

"Bate…" Sirius said, a small glint in his eye telling Severus this was not a good idea…

"What are we going to use?" Severus feared the answer.

"The eggs…" Sirius replied thoughtfully.

"We're not allowed—"

"We're desperate…" Sirius said sternly and held up a tiny egg.  "One won't matter… there are hundreds."

"But—"

"Just shut up!" Sirius snapped quietly.  "The moment I yell 'now', you light up your wand to find the Doxy then when the little creature comes flying towards us, you cast whatever spell and I'll catch her."

"Right…" Severus' voice sounded disbelieving.

"Just do it!" Sirius waved him off in the dark.  "1… 2… 3… NOW!" he yelled and a small _crack_ and _squish_ was heard.  The buzzing stopped then grew enraged and the clicking turned into a shrill but tiny shrieking.  The angered Doxy was headed straight for Sirius!  Severus lit up his wand quickly and just in time as the mother sped a few meters away from Sirius.  In a flash, Severus sent the Doxy falling to the ground, unconscious, hopefully anyway…

"Light your wand again!" Sirius ordered while groping the ground.  Severus lit up his wand and they found the limp creature on top of her eggs, her eyes shut.  "What spell did you use?"

"A weak _stupefy_." Severus shrugged.

"That's 'cause that's the only stupefy you can do…" Sirius chuckled.

"Oh shut up!  I could wake that fair and send her to eat you for her midnight snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner for a few months!"

"Really?" Sirius picked up the tiny thing and placed her in the cage then locked it.

"Do you want me to? It's just that I think she'll get to bite your fingers off once I say the spell since you're right next to the cage…" Severus raised his wand and pointed it to the little figure.

"Don't you dare!  You'll send us into another month's worth of detentions!" Sirius blocked the way.

"Fine…" Severus shrugged.

"Very good boys!" Dumbledore came through the door, beaming at the two students who sat across each other, stuck in a death glare.  "Boys?"

"Oh! Professor!" the two stumbled up.

"Too bad you wasted a good egg though…" Dumbledore shook his head.  "But that's alright.  At least you got the Doxy." He smiled as he took the small cage where the limp creature lay.  "What _did_ you use on her?  It doesn't look like a sleeping spell.  Nor does it look like a potion…" he tapped the cage's bars curiously.  "Ah, the ever-so-popular stunning spell!" he smiled again.  "Boys, you may go to bed now.  I don't want any roaming around tonight.  Tomorrow, you'll be after a few Red Caps.  I suggest you bring some heavy cloaks and dress in long sleeves and some sturdy pants…" he said as he lead them up and out of the dungeons.

"Good night boys." Dumbledore waved as the two boys quickly separated and went to their respective common rooms.

"Doxies, Red Caps, Ashwinders, Wild Gnomes, and ghouls!" Lily exclaimed.  "You expect Professor Dumbledore to be easy but look what he's put into your detention!"

"I know that…" Severus grumbled while pouring over his book in the library.  He listened to Lily who continued to complain about Severus' antics as well as Black's, Pettigrew's, Lupin's, and of course, Potter's.  He glanced up at the hourglass that went on silently and sighed towards Lily.

Lily stopped talking at stared at Severus.  "Severus?  What's wrong?"

"N—nothing…" he lied.  "I'm going to be late for class…" he muttered and quickly stood up and left the library, his robes flowing back swiftly and not in their usual elegant way.

"Severus?" Lily stared, wondering what on earth got into him.  She gathered her books and left the library as well.

"Severus!" Lily called behind him frantically.  The boy didn't seem to hear her or he was purposely ignoring her.  She yelled but he only sped on until he reached a corridor and vanished into one of the other corridors that spread out.  "What—Severus?" Lily looked around nervously then she heard footsteps coming her way.

"Hey Lily!" some familiar voices startled the girl.

"Oh, sorry about that!" the others apologized while coming around her.

"H—huh?" Lily stared at the 4 boys.

"Where's Severus?" Sirius Black inquired, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Oh dear, don't tell me he left you!" Peter blinked his eyes in genuine alarm.

"I told you he was a cynical bastard!" Remus Lupin folded his arms.

"W—what are you talking about?" Lily forced her flushes to disappear.

"Lily, leave Severus.  You're better off with us Gryffindors." James said gently.

"Yeah!" the others nodded.

"B—but…" Lily stammered.  James Potter took her arm and they brought her to the Gryffindor common room.

"What is this all about?!" Lily banged her fists on the table.

"Stay calm, Lily!" Peter jumped.

"So why did you like Severus Snape of all people?" Sirius got to the point.  Lily stared at him angrily and confusingly.

"Sirius, I don't think the lady would like to just tell us her tale without an explanation…" Remus eyed the aggressive boy sharply.

"Then what have we got to explain?" Sirius snapped.

"This:" Peter smiled.  "We're planning to—" his mouth was quickly slapped shut by 3 other hands.

"Planning to what?" Lily narrowed her eyes.  "Play a trick on him?  And you'll use me as bate?  Well, you've got another thing coming if you're going to make me believe otherwise!" she said crossly.

"Lily…" James sighed.  "he's useless." He said flatly.

"HE—IS—NOT!" Lily roared and stormed up the girls' dormitory.

"See what you've done!" Remus hit James on the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"Why did you go on and tell her that?!"

"Because she wouldn't want to know what we're planning anyway!" James said painfully while rubbing the back of his head.

"Stupid dolt!" Sirius grumbled.  "Now what'll we do?  She'll probably go off to Sevvy tonight and tell him all about it…"

"We'll just have to continue with the plan…" James uttered softly.  The others looked at each other and nodded.

"Hey Sevvy!" a sinister voice called out to Severus as he trudged down the halls of Hogwarts gloomily.

The boy turned around slowly and expected to find another Gryffindor with a mischievous look on his face and some taunt on his lips when his heart seemed to stop.

"She's mine now!"

"Severus!" Lily screamed but another's lips pressing into hers muffled her voice.  She didn't resist, she couldn't resist.

_Lily…_ Severus' eyes widened and started to moisten.  His ribs ached with pain and his insides writhed with hatred.  He bitterly thought up of every curse he knew and every curse he wasn't supposed to know and do and was about to bring out his wand when a gentle touch startled him on his shoulder.  Two bright eyes sparkled smartly behind him.

"Hi Severus!" Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew grinned.

Severus glared at them with daggers in his eyes and gripped his books tighter, his nails digging into the bindings.

"Ooh!  I wouldn't want to have Lily Evans for _my_ girlfriend now!" Sirius chuckled.

"I wouldn't want her for a friend!" Peter laughed.

Severus snarled at them and dove at Sirius, sending them both rolling on the cold stone floor.

"Severus!" a panicked voice faltered somewhere in the crowd.  "Severus!" the voice called out desperately again and again.

"I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" Severus Snape beat down upon Sirius Black, his fists slamming into the boy's face, his nails scratching and tearing the skin, his hits scarring the boy gravely.

"Stop!  Severus!" the voice was carried away as the greasy-haired boy kept beating the other.

"Stop this!  What is the meaning of this?!" a deep and commanding voice loomed over the excited shouts of the students.  The corridor grew suddenly quiet and the circle surrounding the small fistfight separated.

Severus Snape leaped up and his eyes widened in fear at the imperious look on the professor's face—the headmaster's face.  He tore through the crowd, running with a few books in his hands—the ones he managed to grab—and ran through the castle, thoughts and brief memories speeding in his mind's eye.

_Lily…_ Professor Severus Snape shook his head while opening his eyes.  He checked his watch and sighed heavily.  He'd been in this state for a quite a while now.  The moon had risen and was nearing its summit outside the small window.  Crickets quietly chirped harmonically as well.

_This is so futile… yet… I can't forget her…_ Severus thought while fixing the loose papers in the dungeon.  He stood up and walked towards the door then paused.  He noticed something in the room that wasn't there before.  He glanced around carefully but quickly then noticed a fairly sized flower in a small bottle filled with some greenish liquid.

"What's this?" Snape walked over to the bottle on the shelf.  He reached for the bottle and brought it down and stared silently at it as his heart beat strangely calmer than usual.

_A lily…_ he sighed to himself as he brushed his fingers on the smooth and shiny petals.  He noticed a label on the bottle and read it: _Plant-b-4-ever._  He smiled genuine and thoughtful smile then brought the flower in the bottle over to his desk, placing it on the right corner.

He remembered the silky hair and the cheerful eyes, her melodic voice and smart words.  He remembered her love as he turned around and walked out of the classroom (dungeon).  He remembered her love as he slept, for once peaceful…

The ring of memories glittered quietly on the stem of the precious flower, its dulled silver suddenly growing brighter and purer, its emerald eyes becoming white.

_Severus…_ a soft and enchanting voice echoed unnoticed in the room where the lily was, gleaming with its brightness in the pale moonlight.

A translucent but gentle hand reached out for the lily and handled it with care.  The slender fingers ran down the stem down to the ring as the emeralds darkened and became green again.

The ghostly figure wavered and faded away, leaving the ring and lily alone in the room, leaving a warm and wonderful glitter in them and around them.

FINI.


End file.
